Question:
Why did the box of taper candles that I bought say they were dripless and smokeless,
yet
they dripped, and smoked?

Ahhhh,
yes! The old dripless and smokeless question! First, let's get some basics
down right now.

1) A taper candle is designed to be burned in
a taper candle holder. If a taper candle is not almost perfectly STRAIGHT in
the holder, you can expect it to drip. No matter what the box or packaging says!

2) A taper candle must be kept away from
drafts. A taper candle is designed to burn wax almost as fast as it melts it.
Thus, there is a very small reservoir of wax that you may notice at the tip of the candle
as it burns. This reservoir is contained by a thin wax wall directly around the
base of the flame (or the tip of the candle). If the flame is caused to jump around
or flicker, this wax wall will heat, and melt, and the wax will exit out of the
reservoir. This will in turn cause the flame to melt more wax, and increase the size
of the flame due to the larger amount of wicking now available to the flame (There was a
portion of wicking that wasn't burning at the base of the flame, the portion that was
soaked in the wax!) The larger flame will only cause the candle to drip faster and
faster, leaving behind a very short burn time, and a gigantic mess.

3) While I hesitate to say this, try to avoid
overly inexpensive candles. This isn't to say that candles bought for a remarkable
price will drip or smoke; it simply isn't so. What I am trying to say is if the
candle seems damaged, or incredibly inexpensive, test burn one before stocking up.
See for yourself, and if you are able to find an inexpensive candle that provides you with
long, lovely, serene, evenings, then by all means stock up!!

4) Candle produces black smoke when it
burns? On a taper, the only real attempt at correcting this is to trim the
wick. REMEMBER! Only a little at a time, and light it between each trimming!

Question: Why doesn't my candle fit
in the holder? They say they are standard and the clerk at the store said it too!?

This question can go on and on, and in the
end, people will still have this problem. Simply stated, a taper candle to be
considered "standard" needs to be 7/8" of an inch, at it's widest, on the
portion consisting of it's bottom inch. Meaning, if a taper candle is 12" tall,
the bottom inch (the base inch) must not consist of an area greater than 7/8"
This base can have a slight taper. But MUST achieve precisely 7/8" at some
point along that bottom inch.

The problem arises in three steps.

First, the candle manufacturer, for lack of a
better explanation, is unable to utilize a measuring ruler.

Second, the candle holder manufacturer missed
school on the day the teacher went over the use of the measuring ruler as well!

Third, they don't talk to each other!

GREAT! But how can I get my candles to
stand straight in the holders anyway? I went to school and I know how to use a
ruler! I love my holders and I want candles in them!